Adapter for locks



Nav. 2S, 1941. Rf s. @om Em. y v2,263,772

ADAPTER FOR LOCKS Filed 0G12. '.10, 1940 RUSSELL 5. GD NORMAN B. Hl/R EBEET-M/LLEE MERLE M EAK/N5 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 25, 1941 i ADAPTER Fon LocKs `Russell-S. Gol-d, Berlin, 1 Newington, Conn., and tum, and Merle Mr Ea ,e signers of one-half to and Norman B. Hurd,

Robert A. Miller, Tarenkins, Ford City, Pa.,.as

he American Hardware Corporation, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut, and one-half to Pittsburgh `Plate Glass Company, ration of Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, Pa., a corpoapplication octoberio, 1940, seriai'Nn.; 360,536

, e I A 2 Claims.l

Our invention relates' to a new and -useful means forsecuring locking `and vsimilar devices to glass doors.

With recent `improvements in methods of tempering glass, fand resultant improved characteristics of the product, glass has been generally accepted as a building material and is now being increasingly applied to theV construction` ofr all glass doors to giveV a, modern and artistic appearance. Since tempered` glass does not lend itself readily to cutting, drilling, or other Working, it has become the practice, in the case of tempered glass panels for doors andthe like, to form any recesses or holes which maybe required for fixtures,4 prior to tempering. It can be -seen that with ,such a. procedure the glass panels must be either custom-built to specifications as to holes andrecesses so as to Yaccommodate particular locks or fixturesyorelse such varied stocks must be maintained as to `make the cost unreasonably high.

It is an object of our invention to provide an l improved adapter for glass doors and the like that will permit the ready application and removal of lock xtures and particularly locks and latches of the conventional mortise type which are insertable and removable at the edge of the door.

Another object is to provide means for making more economical and more feasible the production and distribution of glass-door panels.

Our invention further contemplates means for rendering a glass-door panel, which has been formed in a standard manner preferably prior to tempering, adaptable to receive any of a plurality of sizes of standard door ttingssuch as mortise locks and latches.

Other objects and various features of the invention will be hereinafter pointed out or will become apparent to those skilled in the art. e

In the drawing which shows, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred embodiment of the invention- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an adapter applied to a glass door, a portion of the adapter being broken away to show certain constructional details sectionally;

Fig. 2 is an edge view in elevation of the complete lock mounting showing the face plate of a mortise lock in place;

Fig. 3 is a plan View partly in section of the arrangement of Fig. 1.

Broadly speaking, our adapter 5 may be applied to an all glass door panel 6 ready to receive A for example, by recesses I Ia,

that designated generally l, including the usual cylinder lock, knobetc. l j Preferably prior to tempering, the frontI edge ofthe glass panel 6 is provided with a recess I0 of some more or less, standardized shape. In a preferredforrn, the recess IEJ preferably includes iin its upper and lower edge undercuts or keying reces-ses I l toform shoulders to anchor the adapter 5 in position, as will later be described. e The recess I0 at the front may be enlarged or chamferedias shownat` I 2, to accommodate lugs or stub yportions I5 `of the adapter 5 to which the ends of the face plateof a conventional mortise lock 'I may be secured as by screws I l-I'I. l

The adapter 5 ispreferably formed or cast in one piece ,and isi hollowed or cored out to receiveappropriate Xtures, in this case the standard mortise lock mechanism l. The front edge I5 of the adapter 5 may be faced-off flat; so that when anchored in place it 4may be` flush with the edge of themdoor. ThesidesV of the adapter 5 extend outwardly from the intermediate web portion as flanges I4 to receive and embrace the opposite sides of panel 6. The web portion of the adapter 5 is provided, in the opposite upper and lower portions with holding shoulders formed, located substantially opposite to the recesses I I in the adjacent edges of the panel 6. The lugs I6 of the adapter serve to brace the outer ends of the flanges I4 in addition to holding the ends of the lock face plate in operative position. By recessing or routing out the front face of the adapter as at I8 in accordance with the shape of the lock fac/e plate, the latter may also lie iiush with both the adapter 5 and the door 6 a d thus present a very neat appearance.

The adapter 5 is preferably anchored within the recess IU by means of a key of metal, plastic or the like I9. While various materials may be used to secure the adapter in place, We have found that molten rose metalpoured in will. when solidified, securely hold the adapter in place. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3, a thin nlm of this material may extend between the outer surfaces of the glass panel and the inner surfaces of the fianges I4 to act as a cushion. It will be seen that, after the metal or plastic has hardened, the adapter is rmly held in place by keying or dowel-like portions I9 defined by recesses II and IIa, and the outside appearance is as smooth and finished as if the adapter had been originally cast with the glass.

It Will be seen that our improved adapter may any standard mortise lock arrangement, such as be formed in one integral piece so that the en tire unit, including the two side plates may be inserted from the edge of the glass panel 'and then anchored in place to form a permanent part of .the panel. When cast as a unit no screws or other exposed holding devices are required and the outside of the unit is therefore sightly in appearance. Mortise locks of various types and sizes may be inserted in the adapter so long as the lock face plate is of a length to bear on and be fastened to the lugs Iii-I6. When `it becomes necessary or desirable Vto .change a lock or to, remove a lock for repair or "inspection, lit is only necessary to remove the screws H and withdraw the entire lock mechanism whereupon a new one may be inserted, all without disturbing any part of the adapter itself which will remain as a permanent part of the door panel.

A highly important feature o'i the adapter is that the side plates being integrally connected are held in fixed spaced relation to each other and require no clamping means to secure them in place. These adapter sides also perform the function of nishing plates which have an unbroken connection with that part of the adapter .at the front edge. By eliminating the necessity for screws or other clamping means for the sides `of the adapter, all danger of breaking the glass by over-tensioning is avoided. By anchoring the .adapter in place in the manner described it will be held by uniform tension and the danger of glass fracture will be reduced to a minimum. Again, by this construction locks may be applied, removed, or substituted without removing either side plate or any other part of the adapter.

It will be seen that we have provided an eX- tremely sim-ple, easily installed and effective nx- -ture adapter for `all glass doors, designed to re- `ceive and hold a variety of door locks of the mortise type without regard to the size or shape of the lock case. It is to be understood that Various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in Athe appended claims.

We claim:

1. A one-piece lock mounting for glass doors, said mounting comprising a face-plate for overstanding a cut-back recess in the edge of such a door, two side plates integral with said faceplateVfor covering the opposite sides of said recess, a Vweb portion spanning said recess and integral with said side plates and forming therewith a space to receive a lock case, a recess in the upper and `lower parts of said web for receiving keying means for locking said mounting in said door recess, said face-plate being recessed to form a sunken seat for the face-plate of a lock, with holes in the upper and lower ends of said seat to receive screws to hold the ends of said lock face-plate against said seat.

2. A one-piece lock mounting for glass doors, said mounting comprising two side plates to overstand the edges of acut back recess in the edge of such a door, web means spanning the recess and being integral with and between said side plates and forming therewith a space open at the -front to receive a lock case, said web means and said side plates forming a channel to vreceive the edges of the glass door dening `said cut back recess, said lock mounting and said door adjacent said recess having keying means between said side plates and in said channel to mutually interlock with a -cementing material to permanently anchor said lock mounting in and about said recess, and means for removably securing a lock case in said space open at the front and between said side plates and web means.

RUSSELL S. GOLD. NORMAN B. HURD. ROBERT A. MILLER. MERLE M. EAKINs. 

